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That’s What I Call a Mini-Set! The Best Decks from the First Days of Heroes of StarCraft

By: Old Guardian - - Updated:

The Heroes of StarCraft mini-set has been a breath of fresh air for Hearthstone. Mini-sets are typically a little disappointing: there’s a Legendary card that becomes common and maybe a class or two rise from total obscurity to mediocrity. Not so for Heroes of StarCraft! Zerg, Protoss, and Terran have arrived to upend the entire meta.

Zerg did such a good job at the task that Blizzard emergency-banned Nexus-Prince Shaffar on the very first day of the mini-set: the combination of Shaffar and Zergling in Hunter proved too fun and interactive, with Zerglings hitting the board with a +3/+3 buff, and a +6/+6 buff, and a +12/+12 buff, and so on. Saronite Chain Gang used to ask how long can this go on, and another card with a full copy effect broke the game again. However, Heroes of StarCraft is no one-trick pony. There are lots of good new decks left even after the demise of the mutant Zerglings.

Taking a look at the top decks in the still-forming meta, we meet some old friends, and a large number of newcomers. From best to worst, and with some still unknown quantities at the very end, let’s dive into Heroes of StarCraft.

Dungar Druid

Faced with the endless swarms of Zerglings, an endless army of huge Taunt minions has performed the best in the early days of Heroes of StarCraft. Dungar Druid was a viable archetype before the mini-set. It was nothing special, but it was good enough to climb to Legend, and the early StarCraft meta turned it into one of the powerhouses of the ladder. The deck has known weaknesses against many aggro decks, so the meta is likely to evolve to counter it more effectively again.

Dungar Druid with Artanis

Deck Import

Zilliax: Virus Module + Perfect Module

Deck code: AAECAZICCJ/zBamVBqCgBvajBsekBoviBq3iBpP0BguunwTb+gW+mQaaoAbvqQbZsQbDugbQygbzygad4wad6wYAAQP0swbHpAb3swbHpAbo3gbHpAYAAA==

Dungar Druid does not need any new cards, but Artanis is a strong Hero card that may be an improvement in the long term. Artanis’ Hero Power can only be used when you have a friendly minion on the board, and Dungar Druid has plenty of minions. Giving a Divine Shield to one of your big minions to make it trade even better, and giving a Divine Shield to yourself can help you build an advantage.

Battlecruiser Shaman

Swarm Shaman has been effectively replaced with a Starship version. Now you can swarm the board with Starship pieces, launch a bunch of Starships, and finally use Jim Raynor to launch them again. Battlecruiser Shaman is incredibly effective against all but the most defensive decks, and its success has thus also contributed to the rise of control decks to counter it.

Battlecruiser Shaman

Deck Import

Rainbow Zerg Death Knight

With Zerg Hunter temporarily banned, the top Zerg class is Death Knight. Flooding the board with Zerg minions, duplicating their Deathrattle effects with Yelling Yodeler, and negating any final attempt by the opponent to turn things around with Reska, the Pit Boss, this is an aggressive and dangerous deck.

Rainbow Zerg Death Knight

Deck Import

Elemental Mage

Elemental Mage is the definitive deck of The Great Dark Beyond. Clark’s launch-day version of the deck has remained viable throughout the expansion and it fights on even against the StarCraft cards. If you are a more casual player, this deck can keep you in the game when you need some wins.

Fire Elemental Mage – #57 Legend (Clark) – The Great Dark Beyond

Deck Import

Location Wheel Warlock

The Zerg are more than a mindless rush though. Warlock takes the Zerg cards and somehow fits them into a deck together with Wheel of DEATH!!! and Sargeras, the Destroyer. I suppose the goals of the Zerg and those of the Burning Legion are similar enough that it is just meant to work.

Location Wheel Warlock – #17 Legend (NoHandsGamer) – Heroes of StarCraft

Deck Import

Terran Control Warrior

Warrior players will jump at an opportunity to play control decks, and the rise of Battlecruiser Shaman has given them the perfect opportunity to do so. Dungar Druid may be faster at getting its big threats out, but Control Warrior has superior removal tools and Boomboss Tho'grun on its side, so it can put up a good fight.

Terran Control Warrior

Deck Import

Deck code: AAECAQcI/cQFrNEF95cGx6QG+skGquoGr/EG25cHC47UBOypBtW6BqS7BtDKBvPKBovcBrDiBtjxBrv0Brz0BgABBpbUBP3EBc2eBv3EBentBv3EBfSzBsekBvezBsekBujeBsekBgAA

Weapon Rogue

Weapon Rogue is one of the fastest aggro decks around, so it has naturally enjoyed people experimenting with new cards: it is a wonderful opportunity to beat them up before they can even play those cards, while using no new cards of your own. I expect Weapon Rogue to fall down over the coming days though because it struggles to finish some of the control decks and Battlecruiser Shaman is not as easy prey as Rogue would have wished for either.

Weapon Rogue

Deck Import

Handbuff Paladin

Handbuff Paladin is another old deck that is still playable in the new meta.

Handbuff Paladin

Deck Import

Deck code: AAECAZ8FCMmgBObkBY3+BcekBtOpBtG/BubmBtuXBwvLxAW4xQXYxgXQ0AW5/gX4lQbOnAa0ngbQqQbRqQbJ9AYAAQPyswbHpAb1swbHpAbu3gbHpAYAAA==

Zerg Discover Hunter

After Zerg Shaffar Hunter was banned, Hunter players have started to search for other uses for their new Zerg allies. Combining Zergs into a Discover Hunter shell looks like the most promising approach for now.

Zerg Discover Hunter

Deck Import

Deck code: AAECAR8G/cQFvb4Gp9MG4uMGquoGzvEGDKmfBN/tBdOeBsK+Bs7ABtDABpnLBpXiBq3rBp/xBtvxBqj3BgABA6zRBf3EBc+eBv3EBYf4Bv3EBQAA

Colossus Mage

It is hard for a Mage deck to compete with Elemental Mage, and Mage’s new Protoss allies have not succeeded in it either. Protoss Mage can have some fun moments with Colossus, but the deck looks mediocre at best so far. Copying and repeating Protoss spells and the Colossi themselves is still a game plan that deserves more refinement and may find a way to remain viable.

Colossus Mage

Deck Import

Reno Priest

Reno Priest does not use any of the new Protoss cards, but Priest players are dedicated to their control playstyle, much like Warrior players, and it is always notable when a Control Priest deck hits an above-50% win rate on the ladder. Yes, the meta slowed down enough that you can win with Control Priest right now, I hope you have fun!

Reno Priest – #2 Legend (Unknown) – The Great Dark Beyond

Deck Import

Deck code: 

AAECAa0GHq2KBISfBM/GBbvHBc/2Be33Bcj/BcmABouVBqmVBuWcBqOdBqadBpKeBpqgBvajBsekBq+oBsK2BoC4BpnABs7ABtDABpDBBtfSBrPhBrfhBovmBozmBp3rBgAAAQP0swbHpAb3swbHpAbu3gbHpAYAAA==

Protoss Priest

While Reno Priest looks like the strongest Control Priest deck on the ladder right now, the new Protoss package opens another way to build a Control Priest. Priest has a great Protoss discount and copy package with Photon Cannon, Sentry, and Artanis. The possibility to get multiple Sentries and then all kinds of good things from Motherships means that this Priest deck can really overwhelm the opponent.

Protoss Priest

Deck Import

Bubbling Under

There are many new decks in the works, and here are a couple that have been talked about on Twitter. No large-scale stats are available for these yet, but they show some of the future possibilities where the meta can be headed.

TicTac has been brewing a Starship version of Incindius Shaman. Would you rather die to swarms of Battlecruisers or to infinite eruptions? Why not both? Shudderblock has some hilarious targets in the new Shaman.

Incindius Terran Shaman – TicTac – Heroes of StarCraft

Deck Import

On the aggro side of things, Glory has brewed a new Terran Aggro Paladin. Sure, you can still play with handbuffs, but you could also be using mass Starship pieces with Hellions and Crusader Aura.

Terran Aggro Paladin – #11 Legend (Glory) – Heroes of StarCraft

Deck Import

It’s a New Game!

Heroes of StarCraft is a mini-set unlike any other. Of the above 14 decks, only 4 do not use any new cards. You can also argue that some of them do not use the new cards in any meaningful way, like Dungar Druid can be played perfectly fine without Artanis. Even so, half of the meta is new after the mini-set. This has never happened before.

The Great Dark Beyond was thematically wonderful, but failed to deliver strong new play experiences. You could add The Ceaseless Expanse and Ethereal Oracle to a bunch of decks, but Starships were unable to succeed and many of the deck themes fell flat. Heroes of StarCraft will not repeat that. The mini-set is strong, rich in lore, and fun. It’s exactly what Hearthstone needed.

Old Guardian

Ville "Old Guardian" Kilkku is a writer and video creator focused on analytic, educational Hearthstone, and building innovative Standard format decks. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OldGuardian Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/old_guardian

Check out Old Guardian on Twitter or on their Website!

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